Last week we talked with Jody Davidson, a long-time exhibitor and breeder of Clumber Spaniels who has created a cohesive group of junior handlers in the Scottsdale, Ariz. area. Similar to a 4-H club, Jody emphasizes responsibility, sportsmanship and a dogs first mindset with her kids. Today, we hear from the current group of juniors,… read more

Pomona, Calif. Mission Circuit in May. Jody Davidson has a half-dozen boys and girls, ranging from 8 to 16, gathered around her in a semi-circle. All of 5-feet tall, she is waving her arms and talking with great animation. She is praising, correcting, grooming and organizing these young people and they are *rapt* as they… read more

This was the response from someone I know, like and respect tremendously when the topic of joining PHA arose recently. The reply from a mutual friend I thought was quite perceptive. “Not much,” she said, “honestly. It’s more about the sport.” There, in a nutshell, is the basis for so many conversations we have at… read more

I have learned, the hard way, that nearly everything in life boils down to one simple maxim: “All you can do is the very best you can do with what you have to work with…” This grammatically challenged one-liner serves as a reminder to myself or others, nearly every day. It applies to dogs, relationships,… read more

“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself…” Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932, inaugural address By the time this column is published, our nation will know the results of the presidential election and, in large part, the course of our Nation, at least on the immediate front. Our national political conversation for the last… read more

Nobody likes to lose. Fact. “Spending hours, days, weeks, months and years preparing, training, practicing only to lose — that’s my dream…” said no one. Ever. But… Yep, I know, there’s always a but… Football coaching legend Vince Lombardi made this headline famous, all the while claiming he was misquoted. What he supposedly meant to… read more

While Laura is away at the 2016 GWPCA we bring you this reprint from a few years ago – Enjoy! A most interesting comment was made to me at this year’s GWPCA national. I was shooting the breeze with a group of friends, most of whom I’ve known and respected for years. I said, “So, Ed,… read more

BREAKING NEWS!!!! … IF YOU DON’T READ ANYTHING ELSE TODAY, YOU MUST SEE THIS!! We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this up to the minute report from the front lines at your local dog show… Sources close to the campaign tell us that the dog show this weekend is RIGGED! Yes, RIGGED!… read more

One of the things we almost never talk about is the personal safety of our exhibitors. We are constantly On The Road Again, flying into strange cities, driving to new locations. Some of these journeys, and even show sites, are in sketchy areas, at best. A significant number of us are traveling alone through all… read more

The question was put to my social media connections, resulting in a small and self-limiting sampling to be sure, but I received more than 70 individual stories about exhibitors’ first dog show experiences and why they came back. Interestingly enough, it was about the people. Some respondents liked the winning, the competition, the excitement and… read more